Flooding Gaza with aid might lessen security challenge, says UNRWA chief

UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Attacks on aid convoys in the Gaza Strip by looters and armed gangs could decline as humanitarian relief floods the area after the truce takes effect between Israel and Palestinian militants, the head of the U.N. Palestinian relief agency UNRWA said on Friday.

He said UNRWA has 4,000 truckloads of aid - half of which are food and flour - ready to enter the Palestinian enclave. The U.N. World Food Programme has said it has enough food ready to feed more than a million people for three months.

Throughout the 15-month war, the U.N. has described its humanitarian operation as opportunistic - facing problems with Israel's military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout Gaza and more recently looting by armed gangs.

"If we start to flood Gaza with assistance ... that might also mitigate, in fact, this type of tension," said UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini. "But obviously we need also an orderly, uninterrupted, unhindered access to the people."

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, due to start Sunday, and release of hostages taken by the militants during their deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which triggered the current conflict.

The accord remains conditional on approval of the full cabinet, which was meeting on Friday afternoon.

Talks began in Cairo on Friday to hammer out details of implementing an aid surge into Gaza under the ceasefire deal. Along with security within Gaza, the U.N. has voiced concern about damage to roads, unexploded ordina...
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